ten thousands, his lands and his rich manors, and fee whether he can bribe, or buy off, or fo much as compound with his distemper, but for one night's reft. No; the fick-bed is fo like the grave, which it leads to, that it ufeth rich and poor, prince and peafant all alike. Pain has no respect of perfons, but strikes all with an equal, and an impartial ftroke.

All which, I think, is a fufficient demonstration, that plenty and enjoyment are not the fame thing. They are the inward ftrength and fufficiency of a man's faculties, which must render him a fubject capable of tafting or enjoying the good things which providence beftows upon him. But as it is God only who creates, fo it is he alone who must support and preferve thefe; and when he withdraws his hand, and lets nature fink into its original weaknefs and infufficiency, all a man's delights fail him, all his enjoyments vanish.

MY LAST argument to prove, that man's happiness confifteth not in any earthly abundance, fhall be taken from this confideration;

4

fideration; that the greatest happiness, which this life is capable of, may be, and actually has been enjoyed without this abundance; and confequently, cannot depend upon it.

Now that, undoubtedly, is the chief happiness of life, for the attainment of which, all other things are designed but as the means, and fubfervient inftruments. And what else can this be, but the content, quiet, and inward fatisfaction of a man's mind? For why, or for what other imaginable reason, are riches, power, and honour fo much valued by men, but because they promise themselves that content and fatisfaction of mind from them, which they fully believe cannot otherwise be had? This, no doubt, is the inward reafoning of men's minds in the prefent cafe. But the experience of thousands (against which all arguments fignify nothing) doth clearly prove the contrary; as appears from all the hiftories of the philofophers of old, and especially of the apoftles of Chrift, and the martyrs of the primitive church.

In short; content is the gift of heaven; and not the certain effect of any thing up

on

on earth and it is as eafy for providence to convey it without wealth, as with it; it being the undeniable prerogative of the first cause, that whatsoever it doth by the mediation of second causes, it can do immediately by itself without them. The heavens can, and do every day derive water and refreshment upon the earth, without either pipes or other artificial conveyances; though the weakness of human industry is forced to fly to thefe little af fiftances, to compafs the fame effects.

Happiness and comfort ftream immediately from God himself, as light iffues from the fun; and fometimes looks, and darts itself into the meaneft corners, whilst it forbears to vifit the moft fpacious apart

ments.

Every man is happy or miferable, as the temper of his mind places him, either as he is or is not under the influences of the divine nature; which inlighten and inliven the mind which is difpofed thereunto, with fecret and unutterable joys, and fuch as the vicious, or unprepared mind, is wholly unacquainted with.

Thus

Thus St. Paul fays, We have nothing, and yet we poffefs all things. And can a greater happiness be imagined, than that which gives a man here all things in poffeffion, together with a glorious eternity in reverfion? In a word, It is not what a man has, but what he is, which muft make him happy.

Therefore let us, upon all occafions, endeavour to fuit our minds to our condition; and then, in whatsoever state we are, we shall be satisfied and contented; and confequently shall arrive to as great a degree of happiness, as the imperfection of this mortal state will admit of.

SERMON